Opinion- Common Sense Media
by Hanna Bernett
October 24, 2018
We’ve all heard it before: don’t post anything on social media that you might regret. Colleges, employers, and the entire world can see it. Nothing goes away, everything you post is accessible forever, etc.
You might have heard it again last week, in another homeroom Common Sense Media lesson. However, is it really students who need lessons in social media, or the adults? Think about people who most often find themselves in hot water due to online posts; Wendy Bell might come to mind, among a few others. Just last month, school superintendent in Texas named Lynn Redden was fired after posting an “outdated and idiotic” comment about an African- American quarterback on a Facebook page. One might even think that President Trump, who’s Twitter feed prompts various emotional reactions from the public on a regular basis, could use lessons in social media etiquette.
You might have heard it again last week, in another homeroom Common Sense Media lesson. However, is it really students who need lessons in social media, or the adults? Think about people who most often find themselves in hot water due to online posts; Wendy Bell might come to mind, among a few others. Just last month, school superintendent in Texas named Lynn Redden was fired after posting an “outdated and idiotic” comment about an African- American quarterback on a Facebook page. One might even think that President Trump, who’s Twitter feed prompts various emotional reactions from the public on a regular basis, could use lessons in social media etiquette.
Today’s high schoolers grew up with smartphones, giving them a more comprehensive understanding of social media etiquette. On the whole, we know not to post pictures of ourselves doing hard drugs, drinking, or in various stages of dress (or undress). Why do we know this? Its common sense, and we don’t need a lesson on that. As digital natives, we know that social media often provides that ever important first impression.
Does this dialogue sound familiar?
“Hey, do you know -----”
“Uh, the name rings a bell but I’m not sure. Show me their Instagram.”
Almost all people our age have said things like this, so we know that we don’t want someone’s first impression of us to be based on a morally compromising photo.
I ran a poll on the Hamptonian twitter asking “How effective do you believe the Common Sense Media lessons are? Out of 79 respondents, 93% answered “Not effective".
So why is the is the district enforcing these Common Sense lessons? Likely because the school board and teachers are not as familiar as us in the realm of social media, and they want to ensure that we will not wind up in hot water for any online shenanigans. It comes from a good place. So students, next time that you find yourself in another monotonous homeroom media lesson, please remember to respect the teacher and appreciate the intent.
Thanks for reading and happy posting.
Does this dialogue sound familiar?
“Hey, do you know -----”
“Uh, the name rings a bell but I’m not sure. Show me their Instagram.”
Almost all people our age have said things like this, so we know that we don’t want someone’s first impression of us to be based on a morally compromising photo.
I ran a poll on the Hamptonian twitter asking “How effective do you believe the Common Sense Media lessons are? Out of 79 respondents, 93% answered “Not effective".
So why is the is the district enforcing these Common Sense lessons? Likely because the school board and teachers are not as familiar as us in the realm of social media, and they want to ensure that we will not wind up in hot water for any online shenanigans. It comes from a good place. So students, next time that you find yourself in another monotonous homeroom media lesson, please remember to respect the teacher and appreciate the intent.
Thanks for reading and happy posting.